Romans 10:1-4
My hearts desire and prayer to God for [Israel] is for their salvation. For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
The torch of salvation is belief (or, faith) in Christ, not zeal. A person gets right (or, righteous) with God when they believe that they can’t save themselves, but that Christ has saved them through His death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 3:22).
Zeal means “to be hot” or “to burn” for something. Paul had a major burden for his countrymen, Israel. He knew that the very zeal for God they burned with was getting in the way of their salvation. Their torch for salvation was zeal – a zeal without knowledge of God’s righteousness – and that misplaced passion led them away from true righteousness and into a righteousness of their own. They were excited about God and religion having never truly experienced salvation.
Can a person be zealous for God and not be saved? Yes. Like Israel, you and I can have a zealousness for God that leads us straight into a righteousness of our own, a righteousness of religious works. If we find ourselves there we have become self-righteous, not Christ-righteous.
Many people in the Church today are zealous for God, but without knowledge. They are “hot” for religion, not for relationship with God through Jesus Christ. They are doing things their own way, not Christ’s way. They may be excited about God and Christianity but not according to faith. Their misplaced zeal has led them into a system of works, believing their zeal and excitement for religious activities are the torch of their salvation. They are seeking to establish their own righteousness like Israel did long ago. In doing this they have not subjected themselves to the true righteousness of God.
The true torch of salvation comes not from ourselves. It is not religious excitement or activity. God’s torch for salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ’s righteousness. If we are going to be hot about anything let us be hot about that.
